Twitter employees warn Musk mass layoffs would be 'reckless'

Workers at the social company are worried that staff cuts will be reckless. An open letter from a group of employees directed to Musk and the board is making its way through the company.

The Washington Post reported that Musk wants to cut as much as 75 percent of the staff at the micro-blogging site. The letter says that the plan to lay off 75% of the workers will hurt the company. A threat of this magnitude undermines our users' and customers' trust in our platform and is a transparent act of worker intimidation. We can't do our work in a hostile environment.

There are demands for current and future leadership in the letter. Musk should keep employee benefits in place, including remote work, according to letter writers. Musk has previously criticized remote work and suggested that most employees should return to work.

Musk has said he favors less moderation and the letter hints at a potential ideological divide between the two. The letter demands that leaders do not discriminate against workers on the basis of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.

It's not clear how many workers have signed the letter. It is another example of how messy things could get for employees of Musk. The deal seems to be on track to close by the end of October.